Understanding pH

2/22/2018

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pH (potential of hydrogen) is a scale of acidity from 0 to 14.
<7 = acidic
7 = neutral
>7 = alkaline (basic)

pH balance is important

Everything that enters your pool has a pH value and can change the overall pH of your pool.

A pool that is....

Acidic: can promote corrosion and will cause damage to the materials (vinyl, plaster, etc.) that make up the pool.
Alkalinized: can promote calcium deposits (scale) on the tile and filter. Another effect of a high pH (alkalinized) is the weakening of chlorine. At a pH of 8, only 20% of chlorine is active.

pH = 7.4

The ideal swimming pool water pH range is 7.4-7.6

However, ranges 7.2-7.8 produce a safe environment for swimming and the maintenance of a pool; they may be best used as a "warning range" to adjust the pH to a more optimal value.

How a pool service can help

Trained pool technicians are knowledgable in the chemicals needed to return pH to a safe value. Technicians must properly calculate and add the correct chemical combinations to achieve optimal pH for your pool while also determining how much time must pass for the pool to be considered safe to swim in again.

Some things that Blue Wave Pool Technicians consider:

pH Increasers
pH Decreasers
Total Alkalinity - the level of alkalinity in the water is a measurement of all carbonates, bicarbonates, hydroxides, and other alkaline substances found in pool water.
Calcium Carbonate and the Calcium Hardness level - a measure of how "hard" or "soft" the water is.
Hard water can have high levels of calcium and magnesium.
Soft water is under-saturated. If under-saturated, the water will become aggressive as it attempts to obtain the calcium it needs.This can corrode surfaces inside of the pool which contain calcium (pool plaster) and other minerals to maintain its hardness demand.

pH is only one aspect of regular pool maintenance yet it requires time, patience and precision in calculation and chemical choice to prevent damage to the pool and equipment.

Find out more!

Sources:
http://poolforthought.com/maintaining-swimming-pool-ph/

https://www.poolplaza.com/pool-school/pH_adjusting.shtml

http://www.poolcenter.com/watbal

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